After failing to make the catch on Placido Polanco’s line drive, there was Werth, writhing in pain, Davey Johnson and Nationals trainer, Mike McGowan, coming to his aid, and in the background, Phillies fans could be heard cheering. Many speculated that fans were lustily jeering the sight of Werth down on the field.

After undergoing surgery Monday morning that could keep him out 12 weeks, Werth shared his thoughts regarding the matter in an email to Nationals beat writer Adam Kilgore, and they were not what one would describe as cordial.

“After walking off the field feeling nauseous knowing my wrist was broke and hearing Philly fans yelling ‘You deserve it,’ and ‘That’s what you get,’” Werth wrote, “I am motivated to get back quickly and see to it personally those people never walk down Broad Street in celebration again.”

Bitter. Spiteful. Vindictive. That’s the sense I get from Werth when reading these comments. And, in a way, I can understand where he’s coming from. It’s been a rapid fall from grace for Werth around these parts. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few misguided goons, one too many beers deep and pumped up by the fact that the Phillies were winning the game, saw Werth walking off the field in a moment of weakness, and thought it the perfect opportunity to pile on. I’m also not going to deny that once some people started heckling Werth, a few others got caught up in the gang mentality, and started to go at him as well.

Sometimes people do stupid things. It happens.

But Werth’s comments don’t seem to be directed at the few classless fans who cheered his injury. Rather, they seem to be a broad generalization. By “those people,” Werth means, simply put, Phillies fans, in general. And I imagine him saying it with suchdisdain and disgust, accenting the word ‘those’ when he says it. Those people.

The truth is the people Werth heard taunting him were in the minority. Most Phillies fans reacted respectfully, noting what a shame it was that he had gotten hurt. Some even commented on twitter how it was especially unfortunate that it was the wrist he had injured in the past. But those sentiments fell upon deaf ears. Werth’s view of the fans has been manipulated to such a degree, that it’s now far too narrow for him to see things realistically when it comes to Phillies fans–they all look, think, and act alike as far as he’s concerned. Now he’s going to take every single one of them on single-handedly, ensuring that, for as long as he can play the game, fans in Philadelphia will never again know the sweet ebullience he gave them when he paraded down Broad Street in 2008.

How did it reach this point?

The love affair that was born out of a blissful four years in Philadelphia for Werth and the fans is a distant memory. During his time here, Werth was beloved–a blue-collared, tough guy, who had fought back from a career-threatening injury to reclaim his place in the big leagues, becoming an all star that launched balls deep into the seats in left with a regularity few could match. The story of his comeback was the perfect Philadelphia sports narrative.

But then the $126M contract happened, and, in the wake of Cliff Lee taking less money to sign with the Phillies, Werth went from hero to villain in the eyes of some fans. That second part is important to remember. Had Werth left via free agency in any other offseason, all of this is probably viewed much differently by the fans who take issue with the former Phillie. After all, Werth accepting the offer from the Nationals, which was nearly double what the Phillies offered, was perfectly reasonable. But Lee’s actions altered some fans’ perception, leaving them feeling as though Werth were greedy, caring more about money than winning. The Beard had sold out.

The tension snowballed on both sides from there.

When he returned to Citizens Bank Park for the first time last year, there were many that cheered him during his intitial introduction. As the season went on, those cheers quickly dissipated to boos. Suddenly Werth was smacked with the reality that it wouldn’t be all roses when he returned to Philly (or when Philly came to Washington, for that matter). He was now the enemy and would be treated as such. The romance was dead.

Soon it also became clear to Werth that he would no longer be on a contending team (at least not in 2011). His Nationals were out of the pennant race by mid-summer, and he was scuffling through his worst season since reviving his career in 2007. He was no doubt feeling the weight of his hefty new contract, and the select Phillies fans who now abhorred Werth became even louder and more vocal, raining down on Werth with chants of “Werthless” and “Sellout.” The fans who still respected Werth and remembered him as the guy who hit .444 in the 2008 World Series simply sat on their hands when he came to the plate or out to right field, not wanting to boo him, but no longer enjoying the novelty of cheering him out of deference. In time, a frustrated Werth could hear only the boos, because, for the most part, that’s all there was to be heard.

That brings us back to Sunday’s tipping point and Monday’s subsequent comments.

Most Philadelphia sports fans are reasonable people, despite the picture the national media likes to paint. When Werth went down, there was genuine concern from the large majority of Phillies fans. But, in the instance of injury, concern begets silence. So as decent Philly fans reacted to Werth’s injury with muted thought, the select few who took pleasure in seeing Werth injured had the opportunity to once again be heard, and they let their morally base opinions be known.

This type of discontent is something Werth has been dealing with for over a year now, and his comments reflect his frustration boiling over. He had been taunted by the fans, and now, with a team that looks to be a legitimate contender, he was doing some taunting of his own. It was a petty move, but one likely born out of emotion more than anything else. However, that doesn’t make it right.

Werth spent enough time in Philly to know what the majority of fans are like. The outsider’s view of Philadelphia is a caricature of the reality–a painting of a crass, belligerent ogre thirsty for blood, no matter the cost. But players–especially those who win in Philadelphia, like Werth did–usually come to an understanding that the whole thing is a farce, that most fans are respectful people who appreciate a good effort on the field. The past year and a half seems to indicate that Werth has forgotten what the fans in Philly are really like. Or, perhaps, that he never really knew at all. I tend to believe it’s the former.

So who is to blame here? The answer, like a lot of things in life, is not cut and dry. It’s both Werth and the fans who detest him. Werth for forgetting what true Phillies fans are like, and lumping all of them into one big, ugly stereotype; and the fans for having such a short memory when it comes to remembering what Werth meant to this team during its greatest era. The remaining fans are left in the middle, doomed to continue being lumped in with the hooligans who perpetuate the notion that Philadelphia is the worst city in sports history, begging for some type of truce between Werth and his Delaware Valley detractors.

It’s a shame it’s devolved to this. Partly because there will probably never be a resolution between the two parties. But more so because Werth could’ve held a special place in Philadelphia forever, if not for the inability of some fans to grow up, and the inability of Werth to be able to differentiate the good fans from the bad ones.

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77 Comments

TheDipsy

May 8, 2012 at 9:46 am

First things first – that was too much to read.

Jayson Werth was always a surly guy when he played here. He may be the nicest person on earth off the field, but on it he was very cool and stoic. Then he and his agent started popping off about breaking the bank in in FA while in his last season with the Phils. Not a smart thing to do. Then he had the misfortune of being on the receiving end of one of the dumbest baseball contracts EV-ER which he grabbed with both hands. Not his fault – he did the right thing.

I always thought Werth had a lotta talent, had some good years with the Phils, but I always considered him to be somewhat of a d!ck. When he left It was my wish that he waste away in Washington, baseball hell, and never be heard from again. I reveled in his horrible performance last year. Am I being fair to Werth? Probably not. But thats how I feel. He never stepped up to ingratiate himself to anyone while he was hear. Never heard him crack a joke. Never remember seeing him smile….just a guy doin his job he was and he seemed top take no great joy in it.

I’m sorry he got hurt and I’m sorry that those fans said those things to him. But I don’t like and I liked him less when he left. I think some people feel the same way I do and that may be one of the reasons he catches so much grief from Phils fans.

I think it’s fair to say he wasn’t beloved by every fan during his playing time here. Just about every guy has his critics, after all. And I certainly believe you when you say he wasn’t a favorite of yours.

But, for the most part, I don’t really recall very much vitriol towards Werth until after he left for Washington (there were even campaigns by fans during the 2010 season to keep him with the team, some with accompanying t-shirts). I’d argue that while he was here, your opinion of him represented that of a minority of fans. He had his struggles, like most guys do, and sometimes that brought some criticism. But the beard and the hair, the power bat, the defense in right–those things brought praise for Werth, more than I think a lot of of his now detractors care or want to remember.

Lets call a spade a spade: Washington is desperately trying to fill seats and rivalries are a huge part of that. There are two teams competing for the throne right now and the Phillies are not interested in relinquishing their seat. I think Washington is doing everything in their power to stir the pot.

I agree that Werth was distant and almost indifferent while he played here , which can be perceived as surly for sure. I liked what he brought to the team and his versatility. Kind of like Hunter Pence with more discipline at the plate,but without the energy and enthusiasm. In any event, I don’t like him now and I don’t like his comments. The Philadelphia fans supported him while he resurrected his career here. Charley showed confidence in him and the fans supported him despite his indifference. I understand him being angry regarding the stupid comments by some fans,but he needs to take a higher ground given all his success started and maybe ended right here in Philadelphia.

I feel about the same way that you do and like your comments. While I enjoyed watching him when he played for the Phillies, I always got the feeling he felt like some type of baseball royalty given his sports history family. His blood is authentically talented, etc. He is hardly blue collar with the pedigree he came from. But also, he fails to remember that he was given a chance to right his ship in Philadelphia after his injury years, when no one else seemed to have any faith in his talent. So much for that loyalty. The rest of your comments are on point — he was never particularly fan friendly or media friendly from what I could tell. His Sports Illustrated article where he made the conditions of not mentioning his family ?(who knew about a family or several children). I don’t wish him any ill, but the anger he has is about himself, not what was done to him by fans in Philly.

Incidentally, I had something about that in the first draft, but cut it because I wanted to cut down the length. Yes, my original draft was even longer than this. Let’s just say I had a lot to say about the issue.

Thanks for leaving it in the comments though. Definitely relevant to the whole narrative.

I am one of the fans who sits pat and remains silent because I respect what he did as a Phillie and he did the smart thing when he signed the Nat’s 7 year-contract offer instead of our 4-year one. Anyway, his comments are off-putting –makes me feel like he never really “got us.”

Hope he has a speedy recovery and is later forced to swallow his own words. 🙂

Anyway, I think fans lost a lot of respect for Werth when he yelled at the dad in the stands, who didn’t reach over the railing- but didn’t move out of Werth’s way….. Shortly after was the loss to the Giants and then his giant contract…. Just a snowball effect .

BUT some of the “new” Phillies fans (aka Eagles fans) don’t understand who/when to boo… As I’ve said before I heard Greg Dobbs booed before!? Just because someone isnt on the team anymore doesnt mean you boo them ….. Especially guys that won a championship in this town!

I boo guys that wear opposing jerseys… Greg Dobbs certainly isn’t exempt from that (his four year tenure as a mediocre bench player didn’t earn him an exemption). I’ll cheer him during his first intro but after that, it’s fair game. If he deserves to get booed, he’s getting booed. If he does something to alter the game in his teams favor, he’s getting booed.

I was at Burrell’s return game – he hit a home run… 45,000 people booed. That’s what you do. It wasn’t a malicious boo, it was a boo to remind him who he was playing against.

I agree with that… and I get that 100% …..the Dobbs one, was his first at-bat of a game, two years ago …….and got a LOUD chorus of BOOOOOOOOOOOOOS from the crowd. I just didn’t understand it

I’m fine with booing Eaton, Wes Helms, etc … guys that underperformed.. but Dobbs was good in his role here. and Werth was a VERY GOOD player here ……. people just wanted to hate him the moment he left, which to me, was undeserved

These are the same people that will boo Hamels like crazy should he leave in Free Agency if the Phillies only offer him HALF of what another team would

My comment is for Jayson Werth. What happened to him was horrible and no he or no one else deserve such an injury. I feel for you Jayson. I broke both my waist like that, one twice.So I know what you are going through. I’m so very sorry. For those idiot follow fans that made the comment what the hell is wrong with you. It’s the few people like you that give the Philadephia sport fans the bad rep. Besides that he is a human being which is a lot more then i can say to about you. You don’t say that when another human being is hurting like that. I am and will remain a Jayson Werth fan. I can’t turn that off just because he is no longer with us. I can’t forget what he did while he was here and yes I still root for him just not when he plays against our Phillies. I still try and get Phillies vs Nationals just to see Jayson again. I miss him still and don’t think he should have left but we have to remember that this is also a business and it is his right to go where wants and if if you were him you probably would have done the same thing. Get Well Soon Jayson. I will miss you!

Quick question: In which scenario would Werth receive more Philly fan hate?

1. Werth re-signs with the Phillies at similar contract to the one he was offered in Washington (maybe slightly less), and then posts the numbers he has for the last two years? (.232/.330 /.389, 20HR, 58 RBI)

2. Werth signs in Washington for $126mm/7 and things proceed as they have (in other words, what actually happened)

I think it would be pretty similar, to be honest, and he really couldn’t win with certain portions of this fan base.

The only thing I can say is that his comments mean nothing because the way the Phillies are playing right now they are going to be the ones that keep themselfs from walking down broadway again. I mean come on, two innings with runners on second and third or better with 1 out and they can’t score 1 stinking run. I guess the only good thing out of this is that hopefully everytime the phillies lose and pappelbon is still in the bullpen maybe people will stop commenting on how he should have been used even though the game was tied. It worked well last night.

Check the Gameday from Sunday – there was no cheering from the PN posters when he went down. I’d venture to say no Philles fan wants to see Jayson Werth have his career altered by a wrist injury. There are some that won’t cheer for him ever; that’s fine. I cheered when he came back and will cheer for him when he retires (with a lot of boos in between). I would like to see him succeed so that he is remembered for the player he is and not the contract he signed.

Werth is/was extremely complex… everything you associate “Jayson Werth” with, at this point, makes him seem brash and maniacal. Think about it… screaming at the fan, his beard, saying that he hates the Phillies (after the Phillies basically saved his career), stealing 2nd, 3rd and home (pretty effin crazy, if you think about it) and, of course, taking the big money to go to baseball purgatory. Werth is on a distant planet somewhere between Neptune and Pluto. He is off-putting… members of the media have always said that he’s a jerk. He’s not a nice guy and doesn’t make excuses for the way he is. You love him when he’s on your team because he does have that killer instinct… and we absolutely loved him when he was here.

Werth helped us win a lot of games and a World Series so deep down I’ll always have a soft spot for him. I will boo him every time he comes to Philly to let him know that he has crossed into enemy territory (I cheered and subsequently booed Burrell, too) but accepting boos is part of the job description. If he wants to use us as motivation, that’s fine… I just hope that some day, when he’s on his way out, he returns the favor for the time he spent here as a beloved member of our Phillies.

Quite frankly, I think the comments made by Philly fans were in poor taste. However, he spent several years here; he knows what Philly fans were like. Werth’s comments were harsh and unnecessary but I understand where he’s coming from

My impression was that Werth was creating emotional distance for himself in 2010 when he knew he wasn’t coming back. He may have also been taking it personally against management that they didn’t want to give him a huge contract.

That said, we already gave a stupidly large contract to Howard and before that, Lieberthal. No need to do that for Werth.

Time to stop blaming the national media for portrayal of Philly fans. The fans they like to rag on were out in full force all three games in Washington. From busloads of self-important tools trolling around in an ‘Occupy Nats Park’ t-shirt to the constant heckling of Werth all weekend that culminated in Sunday’s incident, there is plenty of ammo provided. The reputation may be exaggerated but it’s deserved.

Werth was known to be an ogre to fans. Even before the Yelling at the Dad incident, he used to taunt fans in the outfield and not thrown them balls during batting practice. He was the only guy who obviously looked like he didn’t want to attend the ALS Phestival. He did his job when he was here, but I never had any warm feelings for him. I’m sorry these jerks cheered for his injury. The “Natitute” stunt really stirred things up, and this is what happens-rowdy fans who want to prove a point.

I just want to say as far as being bad fans, the press doesn’t even notice when we cheered for the Met Thole when he was able to get up last night and walk away OK. People only notice the crap.

Thank you, Sherrym for brining up Thole!! As I watched the Phils fans cheer him not once, but twice, last night I thought to myself, “They’re beating the Hamels intentional hit & Werth’s comments to death but no one will make mention of this” b/c unfortunately, kindness doesn’t make headlines.

That is exactly what I was thinking, there are so many times when us Philly fans cheer for players on other teams when they walk off the field after an injury. Nobody every remembers the good only when we do something bad or stupid.

The subtext in all of this, something I’m sure Jayson did not think through when he made his generalization of Phillies fans… he just admitted that he does hear what detractors say to him while he is out on the field, and that those words do have an impact. I would imagine his response is something that won’t soon be forgotten and his next return to Philly should be… colorful.

Jason, Move beyond it. Not all Philly fans are jerks. You’re a professional. Those that jeered, let them. They are just idiots who will never amount to anything, they only wish they could climb to onehundreth of the level you are at. Am I disappointed you left Philly…sure; but as far as a career move, I think you did the right thing. I hope you heal soon and return even stronger. Just don’t let the JERKS in life bring you down to their level. Again; you’re where you are, on top, they on the bottom. Let them stay there alone.

I was at the game and maybe a few people yelled some things, but it was certainly not the Bronx cheer people expected from the fans that cheered Michael Irvin. Everyone saw the injury was ugly and kinda grimaced.

Jayson Werth is just a jerk of a guy – not terrible, just a jerk. We knew that a long time ago and was confirmed when he yelled at that kid in the stands after a foul ball. I would expect nothing less from him. He’s blowing it out of proportion probably because Cole did the same.

how “accepting an offer you can’t refuse” as a Free Agent = Selling Out ???? I just don’t understand how/why our fans have that view..

It is, was, and always will be obvious that the Phillies low-balled him, because they knew he would get bigger offeres elsewhere and wanted to offer him “something” to not look like the bad guys …or to say that at least they made an attempt…

The reality of the situation for me is that, as a 29-year-old fan, the 2008 World Series was the greatest thing i’ve ever seen as a sports fans ……so those guys are held in the highest regard, regardless of where they play now. Same goes with Hamels if he leaves this season, because we had plenty of chances to lock him up already, and thus far have decided not to ……but people will blame him for taking $180 M to play in NY or LA …when the Phillies offer is $100 ……. and they’ll try to compare that situation to Cliff Lee when they are apples/oranges

Jayson Werth brought the love of baseball back to me after I walked away (strikes). His hustle and heads up playing made me a believer again. For that, he will always be a favorite to me and I will not boo the man! I don’t sit on my hands either when he comes up to bat. I have no problem cheering for the guy. Heal up quickly, J-Dub! I’m just tired of all Phillies fans being lumped together as classless when it’s just a vocal few and the media runs with it.

Sorry he broke his wrist. Don’t enjoy seeing athletes getting injured. But, the money thing after the 2010 season is another story. I felt that the opportunity to resurrect his career that was considered done by many, should have been a reason to stay here. The Phillies gave a “broken” player a spot on the roster and once he proved he was back to his old form, made him a starter. Where’s the loyalty or appreciation? Without the Phils, he’s either out of the majors or just a bench jockey somewhere.

I am disappointed that Werth was injured and I never like it when Phils fans do things to add to our already poor reputation! My perspective was that he was just doing his normal hot dog thing to show off and he got hurt. Unfortunate. I think the best way to move on is to just take another pennant but it’s not looking likely right now and I know it is too early to tell. Success is the best revenge. The Gnats are just trying to fuel a fake rivalry to sell tickets. This week they will return to their normal 10,000 in the stands if they are lucky. He can have their lame ball park and their lame fans and their lame bobble head Presidents, along with that mascot who Screech who doubles as Slapshot for hockey. Phils fans should just ignore him. It would be better than giving him the attention.

is this serious?? …… when he signed a two year, $10 M deal ……. that was the “Thank You” for giving me a shot ……………..but the Phillies gained just as much from having Werth, as he did from getting the chance to play here ………he was the one that went out and produced on the field . . . neither of them owed the other anything

I always liked and respected Jayson as a Phillie …. he was a great outfielder and often a terrific hitter. I felt bad when he had a major injury over the weekend….. no MLB player needs that….

However, I did lose a lot of respect for him when he yelled and cursed at the Father who caught the ball and was there with his son. That was disgraceful and unforgiveable. He is a Father himself and I could not imagine his reaction to such an incident. He does seem like a mostly unhappy, surly individual based upon the persona he projects these days ….. but I am not sure why it so directed at the Phillies fans since, for the most part, still have found memories of his contributions to our team.

Werth has every right to bitch about stupid, callous and dickwad Phils fans. He broke his wrist and gets hooted at and told he deserved it? It takes a complete asshole to relish a person’s injury, and even though most fans aren’t that way, those types do seem to exist more in CBP than anywhere else.

He can say anything he wants, as far as I’m concerned. If Philadelphia has THAT MANY bastards in the stands, maybe they don’t deserve to see a winning team.

I’d suggest that if true fans are all that concerned, they write to Werth expressing sincere hopes for his recovery, rather than bitching about behavior on some blog he’ll probably never read.

To gripe at Werth for being emotional is plain hypocrisy when the fans, even if the minority, started it by being asswipes.

1.) The word is “nauseated,” not “nausous”. You walked off the field feeling “nauseated.” I know brains aren’t on your resume, so just consider that some free advice on how to not look dumb when writing letters to newspapers trying to slam the fans that got you where you are.

2.) You’re (over)paid $126 million to catch and -sometimes- hit a ball. You’re not curing cancer or solving the energy crisis. The least you can do when someone “teases” you is SUCK IT UP. This is the same advice I give my 6 year old. I think you can handle it, being, what? 108 in baseball years.

3.) The fact that you have to “take back” your park? Is not an accomplisment. It just shows how sad the team you’re on is and the 15 fans are who support it. Phillies fans have NEVER, even when we were in the ditches, had any of our parks overrun. Your fans don’t love you the way Phillies fans love the Phillies, and I know it’s hard for you to accept that, but again, see #2.

4.) Your team has played well. FOR ONE MONTH. Quit talking smack until you have some pennants and rings under your team’s belt. THEN? It’s a rivalry. Until then? You’re just the little twerp on the playground trying to fight the big kid to gain some street cred.

5.) We don’t dislike you because you left for the money. We dislike you because you’re smug, bitter, ungrateful, and overrated. Thanks for leaving, since it’s gave us Cliff Lee. We always liked him better anyway.

Not delighted in anyone’s injury at all. Quite the contrary. Just as I was very disappointed in Cole Hamels. But Harper was a class act in the way he handled his repsonse. Jayson Werth? Not so much. And he never has been. He’s a cry baby, like always. I’m sick of the majority of Phils fans taking the blame for people who can’t control their blood alcohol level or ther mouths, and Jayson Werth, having been a Phil, should know better.

The fans were only “teasing” him according to all reports that I read. I’m not saying that the teasing was in good taste. I’m simply saying, quit crying about it. You’re a professional athlete. Act like one. Same goes for Cole Hamels.

Think what you will, but “teasing” is just putting a ridiculously inappropriate spin on what happened. If stupid fans want to be so emotional about a player, why the hell can’t a player be emotional about the asshole fans? Jayson has every right to complain about those idiots, and he has every right to complain that Phils fans can be so rotten, even if some of them aren’t. Not one “real” fan stood up to protest.

I also take issue with your final “F*ck you.” That’s the kind of behavior that makes me think you’re insincere in you claims of not being delighted.

Harper was a class act, maybe, but the situation was entirely different. A purpose pitch is something batters can expect from time to time, but people taking joy in a person’s misfortune is not something anyone should have to even experience, let alone put up with.

I’d rip anyone who applauded if I were injured; in fact I’d rip their head off.

Oh, please. While at a 2009 game with my kids, Werth was having a bad night, dropped a few balls. Some guy in our section yelled “Hey, Werth! Quit chewin your nails and play some ball!”, to which Werth yelled back a nice, classy “F*CK OFF”. And when someone yelled out “Nice mouth!”, Werth then thought it appropriate to give our entire section the middle finger. True story. So, my “F*ck You” is nothing more than returning the sentiment he’s so accustomed to giving to his own fans. He has every right to lash out at fans all he wants. Just as we have every right to call him the cry baby that he is. Works both ways.

Kris …..
apparently you were not at any Mets, Yankees, or Red Sox games in Citizens Bank Park from 2004-2008 ……………… because when the opposing team fans are 50% or more of the attendance, in your own ballpark … it sucks!

I was at quite a few games. I never personally experienced a higher than 50% attendance of other teams, although I can’t recall attending any games against the Yankees. But Mets and Red Sox, yes. And unless I’m mistaken, we never had to go to the length of shutting down ticket sales unless buyers produced a local license.

great post kris! i never liked him! i used to watch him play right feild and i hated how he would catch a ball. always off to thwe side one handed and his other hand was down. and he always seem to have a fear of going to the wall. he did have one of the best arms i’ve ever seen. to me when guys were out with injuries and he was the man he became the OUT! but he was a compliment to the powerfull line up. he fit in it! with that said it’s simular to when trotter went to the redskins with us in our defensive system he was good then he went there and sucked, then he came back to us and was good again. jayson was the man in wash. last year (no dunn, zimmerman out for a long time) and again he became the out! all year. and his numbers aren’t great this year yet either. i don’t miss him. i hope he gets better but i’m glad he’s on the nats.

OK, Werth is writhing in pain, hears taunts from the vocal minority, and when asked about it, replies. Werth brought me back to being a Phllies fan after several incidents over a few years had me really unhappy with management (Scott Rolen, Brett Myers pitching after beating up on his wife, etc.). Management made Werth an offer they knew he would refuse, yet the fans are still calling him a sellout. OK, fine. Lee got way more money from the Phils than Werth was offered, but many missed that point. OK, people see what you want to see. The point is, it’s time for the “good” Phillies/Philadelphia sports fans to take back our reputation. What does that mean? You don’t sit quietly “on your hands” when the loud-mouth morons are jeering Werth Sunday night. You stand up and show support and drown them out! You don’t stop bullies by remaining neutral on the sidelines, and that’s what these fans are: Bullies. If you see someone wearing the opposition’s shirt getting heckled or worse, you intervene, or notify security, you don’t ignore it. If you see someone getting the crap beat out of him at a bar, you get help. Not reacting is the same as saying what these fans are doing is OK, and it’s not. And it’s about time we stop condoning actions like these by standing up and saying, “Stop. You do not represent the average fan. We do not support your behavior.” Until then, we deserve the reputation we have.

Hey, I was upset with Werth when he left the Phillies for the dough, and for a while I was a Nationals/Werth fan because I had respect for his talent, but now I’m peeved that he is lumping all Phillies fans into one pile. That is not fair. But do you know what, life’s not fair, and apparently when you make $126 million you can say whatever you want. But apparently not everyone can be so honest.

I’ve heard announcers talk about how some former Phillies teammates make it a point to hang out and joke around with Werth on the field before games, so there doesn’t seem to be any animosity there. It just sounds like he’s frustrated by the injury, and took a few wanted comments by fans to heart. Couple that with anger over the Phillies not offering him more $$$ to stay, and you get the bitterness that was on display in that interview.
Thst, and the fact- as others have pointed out here- that Jason can definitely be a cranky prick.

In regards to the reputation we have …… nothing is ever going to change …………

Santa Clause/Snowballs was like 50 years ago …

Michael Irvin laying on the Vet turf was in 1999 ….

and when McNabb made his return to Philly with the Redskins, one of the National Media guys was on a rant about how Philadelphia fans, can once and for all set the record straight that they are passionate fans ….and everyone will forget about the Santa Claus, etc. . . if they show McNabb the appreciation he deserves, blah, blah, blah . . .

so in pregame introductions, he was given a standing ovation …and when he took the field for his first play – he was booed. …. Fine by all involved. …. except the fact that the National media’s perception of Philly fans never changed ..and never will …

A few idiots booed McNabb at the draft …
A few idiots threw batteries at JD Drew…
A few idiots beat a kid to death in the parking lot..
An idiot thew up on a little girl..
People cheered when Joakim Noah got hurt vs the 76ers..

none of this is much different than what happens in any other city..
LA, people have been stabbed and beaten multiple times …especially in their rivalry with SF..
Montreal fans cheered when Zdeno Chara was hit in the face with a puck..
White Sox fans have run onto the field to assualt umpires
and White Sox/Cubs fans routinely have bleacher brawls during interleague play ..

But Philly fans aren’t saints either ….. we’ve got this reputation, no matter what we do- the national media has us pegged …. lets just stop caring about it. because its never going to go away

I too was there. The few idiots you’re talking about were very loud – I think more than a few.
They categorized themselves early on by repeated chants of “E A G L E S” –

I loved JDubb when he was here but I also know he is goofy from the getgo. Good for him he found an idiot team to pay him this superstar money, bat him cleanup and believe he will be the catalyst for the NL East Division crown. Not his fault who would not go for the money? Now he has a ring and a long term contract. Good for him.

BTW – Jayson still interacts with the RF crowd. He reacted by tapping on his butt while listening to the chants “Werthless…” He doffed his cap when the crowd cheered him early on in RF. Interaction can sometimes be good, sometimes not a good idea. Abreau used to interact, RF loved it. We are getting to Hunter Pence now and he is eating it up. Shane too eats it up.

Those drunken morons who taunted you (if indeed they exist and are not something you invented to whip up the rivalry and “take back the park”) do not represent all Phillies fans. They are just a couple of drunken morons.

While you are recouperating, please remember that you will make more money during your time off than those morons will make in their entire life.

Wow. What a post! And the comments to follow… Good stuff, PN! I can’t really say much more than guys like George and Don M have already said and said well. My take on Jayson Werth is this: I will ALWAYS be a fan…because of what he did when he was here. I have absolutley nothing but respect for the man for taking the big contract…because it was what you and I…ALL OF US…would have done. And I feel genuinely bad for him for hurting his wrist to the point where his season is all but over.

Do I boo at games?? Yes. At players that truly deserve it (some examples have already been given). And I openly admitted to booing Greg Dobbs because he was a d!ck to us and a bunch of fans…kids… in 2010 in Clearwater. Jayson Werth may have been or come across as being aloof or quiet – so what!! – but he was NEVER a d!ck (At least I never saw him being one).

WOW the Nationals are one sensitive team. Grow the f*** up and be a man. So what a few fans were cheering, it was probably because you missed the play (broken wrist or not) so of coarse they will cheer. If there were a few fans saying you deserve it, then they’re entitled to their opinion. Nobody likes people who play the game for money, so you (werth) put yourself in that position, now you have to live with it. Grow a pair or play softball.

This was just an excellent column that expresses so much about how I feel about this particular incidence and the continually ugly state of affairs between the Phillies, the Nationals and their fan bases.

I have lived in the DC region for 21 years and am completely used to, if not accepting of, the way the media here, in New York and sometimes on the national stage, like to depict all of us as being represented by the worst among us. And then make it out as if other cities don’t also have their least-common-denominator types.

I don’t excuse anyone who cheered Jayson Werth’s injury. I also don’t condone Werth’s comments in the aftermath of his injury, even though I suspect they were spurred in part from great frustration at incurring a serious injury just as things are coming together so well for his new team.

There’s a lot of bad stuff going on right and, for me at least, it makes the games a bit less enjoyable. Some of us still believe in and appreciate sportsmanship.

Does anyone besides me think it would be a good thing to boycott going to the Nat’s Park and letting them have it. I bet when they lose revenue from Phillies Phans, that will shut them up!!!! Hit them where it counts ….in their pockets! Let’s just call Rizzo’s bluff and say you want your park back ….you got it but without philly money. I would love to shut up the entire team including Rizzo the Blowhard and Jason Werth. Let’s see how many Nats fans come out to the park to see them play.

that’s a great idea let them play in an empty stadium! did you see how many fans there where the other night to me it looked like all phillie fans the nats fans showed their natitude and went home early. hahahaha

Good posting –
I’m sorry to see Jason Werth get hurt, and hope he recovers fully.

I don’t care what the country thinks of us as fans. I don’t care about a few bad fans, because EVERY single team has them. And I really don’t care about anything Jayson Werth or Mike Rizzo thinks or has to say. Publicity campaigns and shit-storms like this are ridiculous, just play the game and shut up.

you’re so right lefty i don’t care what other fans think of us or me, especially the national media, and i’m pretty sure they don’t care either so to all of the media and other fans i give you the rasberries! ha

1. I never had the urge to cheer an injury to an opposing player. Those types of people are different from most fans. Different from most humans.

2. I don’t boo or jeer players who leave my team for more money. Don’t be a wuss. Act like you don’t care. Those are the kinds of wimps who stand under their ex-girlfriend’s bedroom window shouting insults through their tears.

3. There is nothing complicated about this. Those fans were a-holes. Philly fans need to have the guts to call them out on it, with no reservations. They make us all look like a-holes.

I hope Werth has a speedy and successful recovery. He always seemed similar to the fans who jeered him, tough and outspoken. We’ve seen him play hungover in the outfield and we’ve seen him carry the Philadelphia Phillies. I would have spit in the face of any Phillies fans who would have yelled that trash at him. He made the right decision to go to Washington, at least they appreciate their players and teams no matter how bad or good they are. I read comments on here that are ready to drop the hammer on Galvis and Polanco. Screw that. Some people just start to run their mouth when we start losing. That’s okay, they must not know what it’s like to lose 90 games instead of winning 90. I’ve been a Phillies fan all my life and I still find new ways to be ashamed of my fellow fans.

I think it’s obvious by my comments today that I’m thoroughly disgusted. I really don’t even think the article was appropriate; it should have called out the crap fans instead of whining about Werth’s supposed “childish reaction.” Sure, some mention was made that it was a minority of fans (who just happened to be louder than all the silent ones), but that’s just rationalizing putrid behavior, and the comments that followed are, for the most part, still a bunch of whimpering about being insulted by a “sellout player.”

I ask everyone here: If you broke your wrist doing something and a large bunch of people thought it grand, wouldn’t you be pretty pissed, too? Sure, Werth makes big money, but he still happens to be a HUMAN BEING, and any of you twerps who think you, as a fellow human, wouldn’t respond in strong terms and blame others maybe others IN GENERAL for such an outrageous and inhuman insult is a bald-faced liar.

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I say again “LET THEM TAKE BACK THE PARK….WITHOUT PHILLY MONEY”!!! Let’s see how Rizzo likes them apples!!! What a jackazz! Is he trying to intimidate the phillies fans….or the phillies players….I don’t think so.

i broke my wrist once and the pain is awful. If anyone at my work had laughed when I broke my wrist, I would have kicked them as hard as i could and cussed them out like there was no tommorrow. All the money in the world didnt take Jayson’s physical pain away nor the emotional upset that he was feeling. And to that guy who jumped in front of Jayson to get the ball for his son when Jayson would have been able to catch it is a great example of the few Philly fans that make the rest of us look so bad. You deserved the FU Jayson gave you.

Wishing you all the best Jayson. I certainly cant rout for your team but I cringed when I saw your wrist turn. I knew immediately , it was broke. Take some good painkillers and rest. I am one Philly fan who appreciated your contribtion to the Phillies organization.